WAITROSE claims council officials are trying to delay its planning application in a bid to rush forward a solution to a "20-year-old debate about a supermarket on the pier".
The foodstore bosses have raised concerns over Argyll and Bute Council's handling of its planning application to build a supermarket and filling station opposite Hermitage Academy.
Waitrose is worried that the council will link its planning request to the pierhead masterplan - which is currently being revised - because officials insist the draft master plan will be regarded as "material consideration" in determining the Waitrose application.
The chain has written formally to Councillor Daniel Kelly, chair of the council's planning committee, chief executive Sally Loudon and council planners to highlight its concerns.
The council strongly refutes the allegations. It says the application is being assessed in line with planning legislation requirements and that the pierhead is a material consideration because it is a planning requirement that a sequential approach is taken with all sites closer to the town centre being assessed for their suitability.
Another letter, which Waitrose has distributed to hundreds of supporters in Helensburgh, reads: "If the two things are linked by the council planners, there is likely to be a series of delays which could take many years to resolve. The Waitrose application should be determined on its own merits."
Sainsbury's has expressed its interest in building a supermarket, flats, filling station and restaurant on the pierhead but Waitrose says the site is neither viable or deliverable.
Speaking on behalf of Waitrose, Martin Gorman pointed out that there is a finite amount any supermarket operator will pay to locate in Helensburgh and claimed the capital receipt from a store such as that being proposed by Sainsbury's for the pierhead would fall well short of the massive costs of infilling the site to raise the levels, flood mitigation, providing offsite public parking, providing coach parking, road junction improvements and building a new swimming pool/leisure centre.
READ OUR FULL COVERAGE OF THE SUPERMARKET DEBATE IN THIS WEEK'S ADVERTISER
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